Recent NCAA Tournament Projections Are Very Kind to Iowa State Cyclones

The Iowa State Cyclones are moving up the seed line in NCAA Tournament projections.

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The Iowa State Cyclones have looked like one of the best teams in men’s college basketball over the first month of the season.

After historically defeating the Alcorn State Braves on Wednesday night, the Cyclones are now 8-0 on the season. They have already beaten four Power Conference teams and look ready to challenge for a Big 12 championship this season.

Another test awaits Iowa State this weekend. They will be heading on the road to West Lafayette, Indiana, to face the No. 1-ranked Purdue Boilermakers. It is as good a chance for the team to make a statement as any this season.

How things shake out in that game will certainly have an impact on NCAA Tournament projections. But, for now, the Cyclones are in an incredibly favorable spot in the latest update shared by Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report.

Where is Iowa State in projected NCAA Tournament seeding?

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Iowa State moved up as the No. 9-ranked team in the field. That has resulted in them being the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, a perfect landing spot for them.

The round of 64 and 32 games will be played in their pod in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Should they be fortunate enough to advance, they would be playing in Chicago, Illinois, for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.

Both should have strong Cyclone contingents compared to the East Region in Oklahoma City and Washington D.C., the South Region in Portland, Oregon, and Houston, Texas, and the West Region in Greenville, South Carolina, and San Jose, California, for the No. 3 seed.

As the projected 3-seed in the Midwest region, Iowa State is currently matched up to face off against the No. 14 seed Troy Trojans of the Sun Belt Conference. Also in their pod are the No. 6 seed Auburn Tigers and the No. 11 seed Wisconsin Badgers.

More challenges await Iowa State to cement status as top-seeded team

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The No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region right now is the Michigan Wolverines, who have looked as good as any team in the early going of the season. Landing as the No. 2 seed is the Louisville Cardinals, with the Florida Gators as the No. 4 seed.

Holding onto that No. 3 seed will be a challenge for the Cyclones as they will have to navigate an incredibly difficult Big 12 schedule.

In these projections, there are 10 Big 12 teams in the field. Early NET Rankings hint that plenty of Quad 1 and 2 games will be played, with the Utah Utes being the lowest-ranked team in the conference, currently at No. 162.

The Cincinnati Bearcats are the only other program outside the top 100 at No. 134. The Arizona Sun Devils are ranked No. 100 on the nose.